Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yokingsville’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Yokingsville’, characterized by its compact, upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant habit; strong and vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; dark green-colored foliage; uniform, freely and early flowering habit; decorative-type inflorescences with bright yellow-colored ray florets; and excellent postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘YOKINGSVILLE’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially grown as a pot-type Chrysanthemum and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Yokingsville’.

The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Fort Myers, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create new pot-type Chrysanthemum cultivars that are suitable for year-round production with uniform plant growth habit, freely branching habit, good vigor, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast response time and excellent postproduction longevity.

The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in January, 2001, in Salinas, Calif. of a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number YB-A0406, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number YB-A0351, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Fort Myers, Fla. in March, 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by vegetative tip cuttings was first conducted in a controlled greenhouse environment in Fort Myers, Fla. in June, 2002. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Yokingsville’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Yokingsville’ as a new and distinct pot-type Chrysanthemum cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact, upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded         plant habit.     -   2. Strong and vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Dark green-colored foliage.     -   5. Uniform, freely and early flowering habit.     -   6. Decorative-type inflorescences with bright yellow-colored ray         florets.     -   7. Excellent postproduction longevity with inflorescences         maintaining good substance and color for about five weeks in an         interior environment.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more compact than plants         of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower 1.5 weeks earlier than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the female parent         selection differ in ray floret color as plants of the female         parent selection have yellow gold-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum do not produce disc florets         whereas plants of the male parent selection produce disc         florets.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the male parent selection         differ in ray floret color as plants of the male parent         selection have lighter yellow-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Yocovington’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,031. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Fort Myers, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum primarily from plants of ‘Yocovington’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered one to two days         later than plants of ‘Yocovington’.     -   2. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum maintained         tight closed centers whereas inflorescences of plants of         ‘Yocovington’ had open centers when grown under low light         conditions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum. This photograph shows the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of typical flowering plants of ‘Yokingsville’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Leamington, Ontario, Canada during the autumn in a glass-covered greenhouse and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial pot-type Chrysanthemum production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from about 21° C. to 27° C. night temperatures ranged from about 17° C. to 19° C. and light levels ranged from 4,000 to 6,000 foot candles. Four unrooted cuttings were directly stuck in 15-containers, exposed to long day/short night conditions, and pinched about three weeks later. At the time of the pinch, the photoinductive short day/long night treatments were started. Plants used in the photograph and for the description were grown as natural sprays and were eleven weeks from planting. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Yokingsville’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number YB-A0406,             not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum ×morifolium identified as code number             YB-A0351, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About four days at temperatures of             21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About ten days at             temperatures of 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine to thick, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous decorative pot-type Chrysanthemum             typically grown as a natural spray type. Compact; stems             upright and outwardly spreading giving a uniformly mounded             appearance to the plant. Freely branching habit, about four             lateral branches develop after removal of terminal apex             (pinching); dense and fill plant habit. Strong and vigorous             growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 28 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 45 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 22 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Internode length: About 2.7 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Pubescent. Color: Close to 144A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length.—About 6.5 cm.         -   Width.—About 4.5 cm.         -   Shape.—Palmately lobed.         -   Apex.—Cuspidate.         -   Base.—Truncate.         -   Margin.—Palmately lobed, sinuses between lateral lobes             mostly parallel.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Fine pubescence; veins             prominent on lower surface.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             Close to 147A; venation, close to 147A to 147B. Developing             and filly expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B;             venation, close to 147B.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 1.9 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper             surface: Close to 147B; towards the margin, close to 147A.             Color, lower surface: Close to 147B to 147C; towards the             margin, close to 147B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form with             elongated oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on             terminals above foliage. Ray florets arranged acropetally on             a capitulum. Inflorescence slightly fragrant; pleasant.             Typically grown as a natural spray type.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plants flower             in the autumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other             times of the year, inflorescence initiation and development             can be induced under short day/long night conditions (at             least 13.5 hours of darkness). Early flowering habit; plants             exposed to three weeks of long day/short night conditions             followed by photoinductive short day/long night conditions             flower about 7.5 weeks later.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color             and substance for about five weeks in an interior             environment.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering, about nine             inflorescences develop per lateral stem.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 5 mm. Diameter: About             7.5 mm. Shape: Oblate. Color: Close to 141A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 8.6 cm. Depth (height):             About 2 cm. Diameter of disc: No disc florets observed.             Receptacle height: About 5 mm. Receptacle diameter: About             6 mm. Receptacle color: Close to 146B.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated oblong. Orientation: Initially             upright, then with development, close to 90° from vertical.             Aspect: Initially incurved, then mostly flat. Length: About             4.2 cm. Width: About 1 cm. Apex: Emarginate, acute or             rounded. Base: Attenuate; short corolla tube. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;             satiny. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 211             arranged in numerous whorls. Color: When opening, upper             surface: Close to 6A to 6B. When opening, lower surface:             Close to 6D. Fully expanded, upper surface: Close to 6B to             6C; with development, color becoming closer to 6C. Fully             expanded, lower surface: Close to 6D.         -   Disc florets.—None observed.         -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 18             arranged in two to three whorls. Length: About 9 mm. Width:             About 4 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, waxy.             Texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Color, upper surface:             Close to 141A. Color, lower surface: Darker than 141A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: First peduncle: About 2.2 cm. Fourth             peduncle: About 3.4 cm. Seventh peduncle: About 4.1 cm.             Diameter (first peduncle): About 2 mm. Angle: About 45° from             vertical. Strength: Strong, flexible. Texture: Pubescent.             Color: Close to 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Not observed. Gynoecium:             Pistil length: About 4 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma             color: Close to 9A. Style length: About 3 mm. Style color:             Close to 145D.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under     commercial conditions. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum tolerate     temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 38° C. 

1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yokingsville’ as illustrated and described. 